50 killed in ethnic violence in Darfur as govt declares emergency -

Darfur: Ethnic violence in the Darfur region of Sudan claimed 50 lives. Nearly 132 people have been injured. Following this conflict in the El-Geneina region, the Sudan government has imposed an emergency in the West Darfur province. This is the third instance of ethnic violence flaring up in the Darfur region in the last four months. The term of the international peacekeeping force deployed in the Darfur region of Sudan expired last year. So, now the Sudanese army has been deployed in the region. Against this background, the ethnic conflict in the region is considered to be a cause of concern.

On Saturday, Arabic people attacked the Masalit clan and killed two people. Two citizens were injured in the attack. Infuriated by this attack, the Masalit people attacked an Arabic settlement. It is claimed that 50 lives were lost during the conflict. The conflict is continuing for two days and the local agencies informed that 132 people have been injured in the conflict. Many of the injured are in critical condition, and fears of the number of casualties increasing are being expressed.

Following the incident, the government of Sudan imposed an emergency in the West Darfur region. After that, the United Nations has announced that it was temporarily suspending humanitarian supplies to this region. Ethnic conflict and violence are continuing in this part of Sudan for the last more than 15 years. Issues regarding water, agriculture and land were the cause for the conflict to start in 2003. The local tribes started an armed conflict disregarding the government decisions. The then President Omar Bashir strengthened the independent rebel organisations by deploying military in the region. More than 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict, and more than 2.5 million have migrated.

In 2007, the United Nations deployed a peacekeeping force to stop the violence in Darfur. But his hardly had any effect on the violence in the region. Instead, there were instances of attacks on the peacekeeping force. The peacekeeping force term ended in December 2020. Moreover, the Sudanese military has been deployed in the region ever since.

Last year, the military took over power, overthrowing the Bashir government. The process of political transition has begun in the country after that. At the same time, indications of border dispute flaring up with neighbouring Ethiopia are being received. Against this background, analysts claim that this new violence can newly cause instability in Sudan.